Fuel systems for engines, e.g., diesel or petrol/gasoline engines, may include capless fuel filler necks on a fuel filler pipe coupled to a fuel tank for replenishing fuel in the tank. Such capless fuel filler necks may include sealing doors which remain closed to seal off the fuel system without a cap. A sealing door on a capless fuel filler neck may be opened by inserting a fuel nozzle into the fuel filler neck for refueling, for example.
Such capless fuel filler necks may further be designed to reduce mis-fueling. For example, a capless fuel filler neck may include a mis-fueling inhibitor (MFI) to reduce occurrences of customer mis-fuelings wherein a customer accidentally uses the wrong fuel type for an engine. Such mis-fueling inhibitors may be designed to prevent incorrectly-sized fuel nozzles or spouts from opening a sealing door on a capless fuel filler neck in order to reduce occurrences of mis-fueling. For example, in a diesel engine, a mis-fueling inhibitor may be configured to permit a standard-sized diesel fuel nozzle to open the capless filler neck and prevent a petrol fuel nozzle, which may be smaller than a diesel fuel nozzle, from opening the capless filler neck. As another example, in a petrol engine, a mis-fueling inhibitor may be configured to permit a standard-sized petrol fuel nozzle to open the capless filler neck and prevent a diesel fuel nozzle from opening the capless filler neck.
However, during some conditions, customers may need to open the capless refueling device to use a portable refueling can to add fuel to their vehicle or to refuel with a pump nozzle that is an incorrect size for the capless MFI installed on their vehicle. Thus, in some examples, a capless refueling funnel, e.g., a supplemental refueling adapter (SRA), may be provided to the customer so that the customer can refuel the fuel tank in absence of a correctly-sized refueling nozzle. Such capless refueling funnels may be special funnels with the correct nozzle diameter at the tip provided to the customer in their vehicle for the type of fuel that their vehicle accepts, e.g., petrol or diesel.
The inventors herein have recognized that when installing such refueling funnels on an assembly line which runs different types of vehicles which use different fuel types and thus different refueling funnel sizes, there may be occurrences of including incorrectly sized refueling funnels on vehicles. For example, in assembly lines which run both petrol and diesel vehicles, two differently sized funnels may be available to be included in a vehicle, one for petrol vehicles, and one for diesel vehicles. For example, the only difference between a diesel refueling funnel and a petrol refueling funnel may be at the tips of the funnels which have different diameters to open the correct capless MFI. This causes problems trying to make sure the correct size funnel is installed on the assembly line which may run both petrol and diesel vehicles concurrently. In some approaches, to reduce mistakes, error proofing labels with barcodes may be applied to each funnel so that they can be scanned and verified before installing into each vehicle. The labels, application to the funnel, scanners, time required to scan by operator, and complexity in the plant, increase cost to the vehicle manufacturer.
In one example approach, in order to address these issues, a capless refueling adapter is provided. The capless refueling adapter comprises a funnel body with a first opening at a first end and a second opening at a second end opposing the first end, the first opening larger than the second opening, and cross-sections of the funnel body decreasing from the first end towards the second end; and at least two opposing tabs at the second end, the opposing tabs deformable from a first position to a second position, a distance between outer surfaces of the opposing tabs at the second end being a first amount in the first position, the distance being a second, smaller amount, in the second position.
In this way, one design of a refueling funnel may be used to fit capless refueling necks with differently sized mis-fueling inhibitors. For example, a single refueling funnel may be used for both diesel and petrol vehicles. In such an approach, occurrences of installing the wrong funnel in the wrong vehicle on an assembly line may be reduced. Further, costs associated with funnel labeling, scanning, and other costs associated with determining a correct funnel for a vehicle on an assembly line may be reduced since such labels and scanning may not be needed to determine a correct funnel for a vehicle. As such, a customer in their time of need, e.g., when they run out of fuel by the side of the road, may be assured of having a correct refueling funnel installed in their vehicle for refueling.
It should be understood that the background and summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.